Apparatus for attaching top lifts to shoes



Nov. 7, 1961 H. sPRlcK APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING TOP LIFTS TO SHOES Filed may 11, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS HARBERT SPF/CK ATTORNE Y3 Nov. 7, 1961 H. SPRICK APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING TOP LIFTS TO SHOES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 11, 1959 INVENTORS HERBERT .SP/WCK grTOR/VEKS United States Patent 3,007,170 APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING TOP LIFTS T0 SHOES Herbert Sprick, 'Wuppertal-Barmen, Germany, assignor to The Auto-Soler Company, Atlanta, Ga., 21 corporation of Georgia Filed May 11, 1959, Ser. No. 812,551 4 Claims. (Cl. 1-19) The present invention relates to a device for the spaced distribution of nails on the surface of shoe heels, particularly in the attachment of so-called penny heels, by means of a nailing device.

In shoe repair, particularly the attachment of heels of womens shoes, particularly when attaching so-called penny heels, there is the difliculty, which heretofore could not be overcome, of distributing the nails of the heels in such a manner on the relatively small surface of the heel that on the one hand they provide a sufficiently firm attachment of the heel, while on the other hand, they still do not pierce through the side of the heel. In this connection, to be sure, there is the constant danger of the nails emerging laterally fromthe relatively narrow, slim lower portion of the heel in which case the covering thereof, for instance the leather covering, can be damaged or entirely destroyed.

Heretofore this circumstance has been alleviated by providing, on the nailing machine, a stop lying preferably in a direction against which the lower portion of the heel is then laid on one side.

When using such a stop; each nail to be driven must be sighted before it is driven by means of a marking. It can be easily understood that in such work, the nails are distributed extremely irregularly on the surface of the heel. Furthermore, it can also happen in this connection, that the nails emerge laterally out of the leather covering. Furthermore, this type of heel attaching is time consuming and therefore expensive. In addition to this, the work place and therefore the nailing head with the stop extending in one direction is not at the height of the eye but in a different horizontal plane so that accurate sighting is scarcely possible from the very start.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device which facilitates and simplifies the attachment of heels, of all sizes, and particularly the especially difiicult attaching of so-called pennyl heels. This purpose is achieved, first of all, in an advantageous manner essentially thereby that on a base plate which is held in a stationary manner on the nailing machine, there is provided a slide which is arranged so that it can swing and move against spring pressure on the base plate and is provided on the one hand, with a heel recess and on the other hand with a templet corresponding to the distribution of the nails.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, it has been found particularly advantageous in this connection to provide the slide on its front with an approximately prismatic heel recess and to provide it furthermore on the one hand with at least one elongated guide hole through which there passes a pin seated on the base plate and on the other hand a polygonal, preferably triangular templet slot which is also passed through by another pin firmly seated in the base plate, in which connection the slide which effects the spacing of the nails can advisedly be weighted by a top spring which acts on the slide centrally on the opposite side of the heel recess.

By means of this new device for the distributing of the nails in heels, it has been possible to an extent not previously obtainable, to work all heels, even penny heels having a relatively small heel head, in a very accurate manner and with dependable safety, i.e., to provide them with nails without the lateral emergence of the nails which heretofore was unavoidable and always present in view of the lack of auxiliary devices. This new apparatus positively assures exact dependable insertion of the nails and the desired distribution of the nails even in unskilled hands.

With this new device, it is merely necessary to place the shoe in the prism-like heel recess, in which it is already automatically centered upon insertion and is thus immediately ready to receive the first nail. Thereupon, the shoe is merely pressed back to the right and back to the left in the desired direction, in which connection, the distribution of the nails-caused by the development of the templet slot-is effected most precisely. Thus, with this new apparatus, one can operate without disturbance and in an entirely foolproof manner.

In addition to this, the device is of such construction that the slide which is provided with the heel recess is weighted with a central top spring which acts on the slide opposite the heel recess with the advantage that the slide is constantly pressed by itself into the initial or starting position so that after the attaching of a heel, the slide is by itself ready again in the starting position for the driving of the first nail for the next heel.

The slide itself is provided with a templet-like perforation of polygonal periphery which is passed through by a pin firmly seated in the base plate. Another opening serves merely for the guiding. Upon transfer to other size heels, the entire device, which is mounted on a carriage (not shown), is moved forward or back in known manner. Other nail arrangements and spacings can be obtained by simply replacing the slide which bears the corresponding form.

The operating of this new apparatus is extremely easy and simple; it can be readily installed on all existing nailing machines. The sighting of the distribution of the nails which was heretofore customary is dispensed with entirely; rather, by the form and development of the templet slot corresponding to the number of nails, it is replaced, i.e., the shape and configuration of the templet slot result in the number and distribution of the nails, each nail being firmly driven by the moving back of the slide in the direction determined by the templet slot.

This new apparatus is economical as compared with its amazing manner of operation, since it is made of structurally the most simple means, while it nevertheless operates in an entirely dependable and safe manner and assures extermely accurate distribution of the nails.

One embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the new appaartus, partially in section, with indication of the nailing head on the one hand and of the heel to be attached on the other hand.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a corresponding top view of the apparatus, and

FIGS. 4 to 6 show the dilferent nailing positions of the slide.

In the figures, A is a machine base with which a nailing head B is associated. A heel which is to be attached is marked C. The device itself consists first of all of a base plate 10 held firmly on the machine A on the one hand and a slide 11 which is swingable and displaceable on said base plate on the other hand. The slide 11 is provided with a triangularly shaped heel recess 12. Furthermore, the slide 11 has an elongated hole 13 on the one hand and an approximately triangular templet slot 14 on the other hand. Both of these holes are traversed by pins seated firmly in the base plate 10, namely the pin 15 and the pin 16 respectively. Furthermore, the slide 11 is resiliently urged by a spring 17 which acts on the end opposite the heel recess 12. The entire device is held on the machine A by a single screw 18, a pin 18 being also provided in addition to the holding screw 18 in order to secure the device against turning.

By a simple replacement of the swinging slide 11, the most diiferent size heels and any desired number of nailing points can be provided if the templet slot 14 is made of corresponding polygonal shape, in which case each corner of the slot 12 then corresponds to one nail'position in the heel.

The positions shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 indicate a 3-point nail distribution, FIG. 5 showing the first or initial position, while FIGS. 4 and 6 show the other nailing positions. It can be clearly noted herefrom that the nailing is effected always at one and the same point D and that the heel is always brought into this position.

As already mentioned, the embodiment shown and described is merely an illustration of one embodiment of the invention and the invention is not limited thereto; rather without going beyond the scope of the invention, many other embodiments and uses with respect to the development and shape of the device and the swinging slide means are possible, including an arrangement of the slide 11 with an increased height in the vicinity of its prismatic heel recess 12 in order to facilitate the disposition of a heel thereat, or with an upper surface having a prismatic elevation thereat for resting and centering of the heel lift that is to be attached. Furthermore, this device can alsodiffering from ladies shoe heel attachingbe employed for mens shoes with a correspondingly shaped slide 11.

I claim:

1. A device for the spaced distribution of nails on the surface of a shoe heel in a nailing machine, comprising a base plate attached to said nailing machine, a slide mounted for lateral swinging and longitudinal sliding movement on the base plate, said slide having a heel receiving recess at one end thereof and a template aperture corresponding to the nail distribution adjacent said recess and an elongated guide aperture aligned with the longitudinal sliding axis adjacent its other end, spaced guide pins carried by said base plate and respectively traversing said template and guide apertures, and a spring biasing said slide at the full extent of longitudinal sliding movement allowed by said template and guide apertures in the direction of the heel recess end of said slide while allowing direct alternative lateral swinging and longitudinal sliding movement of said slide to full extent allowed by said template and guide apertures in the opposite direction.

2. A device for the spaced distribution of nails on the surface of a shoe heel in a nailing machine, comprising a base plate attached to said nailing machine, a slide mounted for lateral swinging and longitudinal sliding movement on the base plate, said slide having a triangular heel receiving recess at one end thereof, having at least one elongated guide aperture aligned with the longitudinal sliding axis adjacent the end opposite said heel recess and traversed by a pivot pin seated in said base plate, and having a triangular template aperture corresponding to the nail distribution adjacent said heel recess that is traversed by another pivot pin seated in said base plate, and a spring acting on said slide along the longitudinal axis thereof in the direction of the slide end in which said heel recess is formed, whereby said slide is biased by said spring to assume a normal disposition corresponding to a first nail position while remaining displaceable against the action of said spring for direct swinging and sliding movement to additional nail positions spaced from said first nail position.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said slide is biased by a spring which acts centrally on said slide along the longitudinal axis thereof at the slide end opposite the one in which said heel recess is formed.

4. A device according to claim 2 wherein the device is held fast in replaceable manner on the nailing machine by a single attachment screw, a pin being also provided in addition to the attachment screw in order to secure the device against turning.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 945,310 Eno Jan. 4, 1910 1,255,641 Roberts Feb. 5, 1918 1,312,509 Ashton Aug. 12, 1919 1,716,591 Mackenzie June 11, 1929 2,928,096 Lane Mar. 15, 1960 

